Weekly Report 48: Indigent Defense

Recently, I started my mentorship with Ms. Alyse Ferguson, the Attorney Director of Collin County's Mental Health Managed Counsel Program, and was given the opportunity to observe two of the many mental health cases on Wednesday. The Mental Health Managed Counsel Program is a “county advocacy program that helps keep those with mental illness out of the criminal justice system and into proper treatment and care” facilities (http://bit.ly/2iMN0iH).

Since many students align their field of study with their mentor's field, I have realigned my focus on Indigent Defense with a focus on mental health cases. Indigent Defense helps those "without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in a criminal case. If the court finds a person is an indigent, the court must appoint a public defender or other attorney to represent the individual. This Constitutional right of counsel for the indigent was determined by Gideon v. Wainright" (Legal Dictionary). However, there is no need to be alarmed over the change because criminology is still be part of my field. For example, calculus is a subject an individual can learn about but it doesn't mean they must become a mathematician. Instead, the individual is likely to pursue a similar field that utilizes calculus such as engineering. My situation is similar.

~Shrinidhi Joshi

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